New York State Department of Health Extends WellCare’s Contract to Serve the State’s Child Health Plus Program

NEW YORK and TAMPA, Fla., March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of New York, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG), announced today that the New York State Department of Health intends to extend the company's contract to continue serving New York's children through the Child Health Plus program. The extension is expected to run through September 2019 and does not require annual renewals.

"We look forward to continuing to provide quality, lower-cost health care solutions for children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid," said John J. Burke, president of WellCare of New York. "We have been serving the Child Health Plus program for more than eight years and look forward to continuing to work with the New York Department of Health to ensure children have access to the care they need to get and stay healthy."

Child Health Plus members are from families whose incomes are slightly above the Medicaid threshold. The program is open to children under age 19 who do not have health insurance. Benefits include visits to doctors and specialists without copays, immunizations and health screenings. Families pay no- to low-premiums based on their incomes.

WellCare offers Child Health Plus throughout its 16-county coverage area, which includes Albany, Bronx, Dutchess, Erie, Kings, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Orange, Queens, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schenectady, Schuyler, Steuben and Ulster.

For more information about Child Health Plus, visit the state's website: http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/child_health_plus/.

As of Dec. 31, 2015, WellCare serves approximately 115,000 Medicaid members, 46,000 Medicare Advantage members, 50,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members and 7,500 Managed Long Term Care members in New York.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses exclusively on providing government-sponsored managed care services, primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs. The Company serves approximately 3.8 million members nationwide as of Dec. 31, 2015. For more information about WellCare, please visit the Company's website at www.wellcare.com or view the company's videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/WellCareHealthPlan.

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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.